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Pardee honors Physician, Philanthropists of the Year

First Citizens Bank business banking manager and senior vice president Nicola Barksdale presents Physician of the Year Award to Dr. Jennifer McAlister.

By Lightning Reports, Published: June 29, 2022

The Pardee Hospital Foundation announced the 2022 Physician of the Year and Philanthropist of the Year during its annual gala, A Black Tie Affair, on Saturday at Blue Ridge Community College.

Jennifer McAlister, M.D., FACS, a board-certified and fellowship-trained breast surgeon at Pardee UNC Health Care, was honored with the Physician of the Year award. Vaughan and Kiki Matthews were named the Philanthropists of the Year.
The Pardee Physician of the Year Award is a peer, co-worker and community nomination process and is given to a Pardee physician whose career has been defined by medical excellence, dedication to compassionate patient care and a commitment to improving the lives of people throughout the community. The Philanthropist of the Year Award recognizes donors who have made outstanding contributions to Pardee UNC Health Care, Pardee Hospital Foundation and the improvement of the community’s health care.
Dr. McAlister has nearly 20 years of experience as a board-certified surgeon, specializing in breast surgery. As a fellowship-trained breast surgeon, she evaluates and manages patients with breast pain, benign lumps and cysts, abnormal mammograms and breast cancer. She believes in treating each patient as an individual and in educating and empowering them to make the best health care decisions. Since joining Pardee in 2018, Dr. McAlister has been instrumental in transforming the breast care program at Pardee. Under her leadership Pardee has made new improvements to its suite of diagnostic tools, creating a more comfortable and accurate exam for patients. With the SmartCurve System now available, patients don’t have to worry about the discomfort associated with breast compression. The curved paddles are specifically designed for more comfortable compression during breast imaging and are clinically proven to deliver a more comfortable mammogram without compromising image quality, workflow or dose. Pardee also offers new, advanced technology for detecting breast cancer in women with dense breasts. The Invenia ABUS 2.0 is able to improve detection in women with dense breasts by more than 37% when used in addition to mammography.

Philanthropists of the Year

Pardee Hospital Foundation donors and volunteers Vaughan and Kiki Matthews were recognized for their many years of support of the foundation and Pardee UNC Health Care. The husband-and-wife team have helped to organize and coordinate the Foundation’s annual golf tournament, volunteered in the COVID vaccine clinic, and have been active supporters of Pardee Foundation Chair Marilyn Gordon presented Philanthropists of the Year Award to Kiki and Vaughan Matthews. Women Helping Women. Vaughan also served on the Pardee Foundation Board for six and a half years before rotating off in 2020. The couple, who have been married 43 years, retired to Hendersonville from Cleveland, Ohio 16 years ago after spending 28 years working in information technology and corporate marketing.
The couple is committed to philanthropy and service to Henderson County. As Vaughan notes, they “give of their time, treasures and talents” to several nonprofits in the area, including the YMCA, Trout Unlimited, the Community Foundation of Henderson County and Camplify. The Matthewses are passionate about partnering with Pardee Hospital Foundation because they believe “health care is a vital component of the community. We are grateful for the work the Foundation is doing to help Pardee expand care and services that make Hendersonville a better place for all,” said Kiki.
Held for the first time in person since 2019, the Gala celebrated Pardee UNC Health Care’s dedication to serving the medical needs of Henderson County and Western North Carolina and included dinner, dancing, live music, a silent auction and a raffle.
Pardee Hospital Foundation was approved as a non-profit Foundation in January 1996. The Foundation exists to educate and inspire individuals, businesses, and organizations to support Pardee Hospital services and programs while advancing the health and well-being of the community through prevention and treatment. Since its inception, the Foundation has generated over $30 million in pledges and cash gifts for Pardee services. To learn more about the Pardee Hospital Foundation visit pardeehospitalfoundation.org.
Pardee UNC Health Care is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1953 and is managed by UNC Health Care. The hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, a cancer center, four urgent care locations and six orthopedic clinics. For more information or to find a physician, visit pardeehospital.org.